Revolving Credit Facilities and Term Loan (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility With JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. [Member]
Information Regarding The Company's Revolving Credit Facilities
Outstanding Balance	$ 150.6
Weighted average interest rate	2.50%
Maturity Date	2/1/2016
Revolving Credit Facilities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Unsecured revolving credit facility	950
Unsecured revolving credit facility after amendment	750
Interest rate	LIBOR plus 275 basis points
Interest rate after amendment	LIBOR plus 165 basis points
Accordion feature	1,250
Facility fee basis points	50
Facility fee basis points after amendment	35
Line of Credit Facility competitive bid option on periodic interest rates	up to 50% of the facility
Specified spread line of credit facility prime rate	0.65%
Specified spread line of credit facility LIBOR rate	1.65%
Unsecured revolving credit facility with PNC Bank N.A. [Member]
Information Regarding The Company's Revolving Credit Facilities
Outstanding Balance	20.0
Weighted average interest rate	1.80%
Maturity Date	2/1/2016
Revolving Credit Facilities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Unsecured revolving credit facility	65
Secured Term Loan with Key Bank N A [Member]
Information Regarding The Company's Revolving Credit Facilities
Outstanding Balance	500.0
Term loan weighted average interest rate	3.00%
Term loan maturity date	9/1/2014
Revolving Credit Facilities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Accordion feature	600
Term Loan	550
Term Loan After Amendment	$ 500
Specified spread term loan facility LIBOR rate	1.70%
Extension Period of Term Loan	12 months

The increased amount of the revolving facility the Company may expand to provided the existing lenders agree to the expansion.

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Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The facility fee charged under the unsecured revolving credit facility.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_FacilityFeeBasisPoints
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The facility fee charged under the amended unsecured revolving credit facility.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_FacilityFeeBasisPointsAfterAmendment
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility competitive bid option on periodic interest rates.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_LineOfCreditFacilityCompetitiveBidOptionOnPeriodicInterestRates
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of credit facility current borrowing capacity after amendment.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacityAfterAmendment
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of credit facility interest rate after amendment description.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAfterAmendmentDescription
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Revolving credit facilities.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_RevolvingCreditFacilitiesTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The spread for LIBOR borrowings based on the Company's current debt rating.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_SpecifiedSpreadLineOfCreditFacilityLiborRate
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The spread for prime rate borrowings based on the Company's current debt rating.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_SpecifiedSpreadLineOfCreditFacilityPrimeRate
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The spread for LIBOR borrowings based on the Company's current debt rating.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_SpecifiedSpreadTermLoanFacilityLiborRate
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Term Loan.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_TermLoan
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Term loan after amendment.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_TermLoanAfterAmendment
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Term Loan Expiration Date.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_TermLoanExpirationDate
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term Loan Interest Rate At the End of Period.

+ Details

Name:	ddr_TermLoanInterestRateAtEndOfPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	ddr
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount borrowed under the credit facility as of the balance-sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Reflects when the credit facility terminates, which may be presented in a variety of ways (year, month and year, day, month and year, quarter).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 129
-Paragraph 2, 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Description of the interest rate for the amounts borrowed under the credit facility, including the terms and the method for determining the interest rate (for example, fixed or variable, LIBOR plus a percentage, increasing rate, timing of interest rate resets, remarketing provisions).

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Disclosure of timing of required repayments, sinking fund requirements, and other redeemable securities at fixed or determinable prices and dates in the five years immediately following the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the financial statements, and the amount thereafter to fully repay the principal of long-term debt. These disclosures may be made either on an individual debt or security basis, by type of debt or security basis, or on a combined basis.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 129
-Paragraph 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 47
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph b

+ Details

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