an area of houses and offices in east London, England, on the north side of the River Thames where London’s commercial docks used to be. The old docks were too shallow for large modern ships and this had become a poor area, so the London Docklands Urban Development Corporation was set up by the government in 1979 to develop it. The project had many problems, but the area now has a new life and includes one of Europe’s tallest buildings, the Canary Wharf tower. However, some people have criticized the development because only rich people and yuppies have enough money to buy the expensive new Docklands houses.
See also Docklands Light Railway .