Mortgage and Other Indebtedness (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	May 10, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 1,300,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		458,282
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		4.77%	[1]	4.79%	[1]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount	299,740	77,099
Mortgage and other indebtedness		4,680,521		4,745,683
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		825
Additional secured and unsecured lines of credit with commitment		50,000
Covenants and Restrictions [Abstract]
Minimum loan amount in default payment for recourse loan		50,000
Minimum loan amount in default payment for non-recourse loan		150,000
Wells Fargo Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit, Option Exercise, Fee Charged, Percent		0.20%
Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		1,000
Additional secured and unsecured lines of credit with commitment		1,000
Unsecured Term Loan 1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date		Apr. 22, 2013
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		1.81%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount	228,000
Unsecured Debt, Current		228,000
Interest Rate Terms		LIBOR plus a margin of 1.50% to 1.80%
Unsecured Term Loan 2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		2.10%
Unsecured Long-term Debt, Noncurrent		50,000
Interest Rate Terms		LIBOR plus 1.90%
Unsecured lines of credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Number of Instruments		3
Unsecured lines of credit [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Number of Instruments		2
Wells Fargo Facility A [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		600,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		300,297
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date		Nov. 13, 2015
Line of credit, extended maturity date		Nov. 11, 2016
Wells Fargo Facility B [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		600,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		147,806
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date		Nov. 11, 2016
Line of credit, extended maturity date		Nov. 10, 2017
First Tennessee Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		100,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		10,179
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date		Feb. 05, 2016
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Terms		210
Fees on amount of unused availability of secured lines of credit, minimum (in hundredths)		0.30%
Interest Rate, Increase (Decrease)		17500.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.35%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate Terms		155
Fees on amount of unused availability of secured lines of credit, minimum (in hundredths)		0.25%
Interest Rate, Increase (Decrease)		10000.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage		0.15%
Secured Line of Credit 3 [Member] | First Tennessee Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity				105,000
Debt to total asset value [Member] | Debt Covenant Requirement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		< 60%
Debt to total asset value [Member] | Debt Covenant Ratios Actual [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		51.7%
Ratio of unencumbered asset value to unsecured indebtedness [Member] | Debt Covenant Requirement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		> 1.60x
Ratio of unencumbered asset value to unsecured indebtedness [Member] | Debt Covenant Ratios Actual [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		3.52x
Ratio of unencumbered NOI to unsecured interest expense [Member] | Debt Covenant Requirement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		> 1.75x
Ratio of unencumbered NOI to unsecured interest expense [Member] | Debt Covenant Ratios Actual [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		7.72x
Ratio of EBITDA to fixed charges (debt service) [Member] | Debt Covenant Requirement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		> 1.50x
Ratio of EBITDA to fixed charges (debt service) [Member] | Debt Covenant Ratios Actual [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant Compliance		2.05x
Fixed-Rate Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		3,712,645		3,794,509
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		5.44%	[1]	5.43%	[1]
Fixed-Rate Debt [Member] | Non-recourse Loans on Operating Properties [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		3,694,381	[2]	3,776,245	[2]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		5.43%	[1]	5.42%	[1]
Fixed-Rate Debt [Member] | Financing method obligation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		18,264	[3]	18,264	[3]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		8.00%	[1]	8.00%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		967,876		951,174
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		2.21%	[1]	2.20%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member] | Non Recourse Term Loans On Operating Properties [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		123,500		123,875
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		3.28%	[1]	3.36%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member] | Recourse Term Loans On Operating Properties [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		79,980		97,682
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		2.33%	[1]	1.78%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member] | Construction Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		28,114		15,366
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		2.95%	[1]	2.96%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member] | Unsecured Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		278,000		228,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		1.86%	[1]	1.82%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member] | Unsecured lines of credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		458,282		475,626
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		2.06%	[1]	2.07%	[1]
Variable-Rate Debt [Member] | Secured line of credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Mortgage and other indebtness amount carrying value		$ 0	[4]	$ 10,625	[4]
Weighted Average Interest Rate (in hundredths)		0.00%	[1]	2.46%	[1]
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Number of Instruments		4

[1] Weighted-average interest rate includes the effect of debt premiums (discounts), but excludes amortization of deferred financing costs.

[2] The Company has four interest rate swaps on notional amounts totaling $112,846 as of March 31, 2013 and $113,885 as of December 31, 2012 related to four variable-rate loans on operating properties to effectively fix the interest rate on the respective loans. Therefore, these amounts are reflected in fixed-rate debt at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

[3] This amount represents the noncontrolling partner's equity contributions related to Pearland Town Center that is accounted for as a financing due to certain terms of the CBL/T-C, LLC joint venture agreement.

[4] The Company converted its secured line of credit to unsecured in February 2013.