Investments in and Advances to Joint Ventures - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			36 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 Assets Joint_Ventures Property	Dec. 31, 2011 Property	Dec. 31, 2010 Property	Dec. 31, 2012 Property	Jun. 30, 2012 Blackstone Group [Member] Store sqft	Jun. 30, 2012 Blackstone Group [Member] Store sqft	Dec. 31, 2012 Blackstone Group [Member] Assets	Dec. 31, 2012 DDRTC Joint Venture [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member] DDR [Member] Property	Dec. 31, 2012 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member] Patio Brasil [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member] Shopping Penha [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Sonae Sierra Brasil BV SARL [Member] Tivoli Shopping [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Coventry II Joint Ventures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Richmond Hill, Canada [Member]
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments Joint Ventures [Line Items]
Number of shopping centers					46	46
Number of square feet of gross leasable area of shopping centers					10,600,000	10,600,000
Ownership interest of joint venture partner					95.00%	95.00%
Value of shopping centers					$ 1,400,000,000	$ 1,400,000,000
Ownership interest in joint venture					5.00%	5.00%		15.00%	33.30%								50.00%
Debt assumed					635,600,000	635,600,000
Debt	1,674,141,000	1,822,445,000		1,674,141,000	320,000,000	320,000,000		540,000,000
Equity funding in Joint Ventures					17,000,000	17,000,000
Redeemable preferred equity	154,600,000			154,600,000	150,000,000	150,000,000
Fixed distribution rate					10.00%	10.00%
Debt Maturity Term					Three-year term and two one-year extension options	Three-year term and two one-year extension options		Three-year term with two one-year options
Percentage deferral of fixed distribution at joint venture partner's option					20.00%	20.00%
Redemption of Preferred Equity in part at Joint Venture Partner's option							After 18 months
Redemption of Preferred Equity in full at Joint Venture Partner's option							After two years
Redemption of Preferred Equity in full at Company's Option							After seven years
Number of assets included in right of first offer							10
Additional interest acquired by joint venture									30.00%
Percentage of shares exchanged for acquisition									22.00%
Amount paid for acquisition									29,000,000
Larger interest in shopping center after asset swap									60.00%
Smaller interest in shopping center after asset swap									51.00%
Gain on partial sale of ownership interest									2,800,000
Weighted-average exchange rate used for recording the equity in net income									1.94	1.67	1.77
Sale of ownership interest													10.00%	51.00%	30.00%
Sales price									103,000,000			34,000,000
Asset classified as discontinued operations				120								1
Managed Assets												2
Impairment of joint venture investments	26,671,000	2,921,000	227,000													26,100,000
Carrying value of investment																3,600,000
Gain/Loss on Change in Control and sale of interests																7,500,000	(9,300,000)
Purchase price of acquired entities	339,400,000			339,400,000
Number of joint ventures acquired	3
Number of joint venture assets acquired	5
Aggregate Gain	80,000,000
Repaid mortgage debt	246,200,000
Company ownership interest remaining																	10.00%
Refinancing of Mortgage Debt								698,700,000
Repayments of long term debt								76,000,000
Company's share of repaid mortgage debt								11,400,000
Percentage of interest								4.63%
Mortgage and other secured indebtedness	1,274,141,000	1,322,445,000		1,274,141,000				190,000,000
Revolving credit facility refinanced								158,700,000
Mortgage balance outstanding								$ 214,500,000
Specified spread term loan facility libor rate								2.75%
Number of Properties Sold	7	8	37	7