February 12, 2021 by Rebecca Goldfine Faculty offered the first slate of classes for the new urban studies minor this fall. Students are now diving into another crop of city-centric courses this semester that cover a range of subjects, from geographic information systems (GIS), to the art and architecture of China's urbanization, the evolution of the American city, and urban economics. View image caption Mumbai The creation of the urban studies minor at Bowdoin comes as more people around the world uproot themselves from regions stricken by war, environmental disaster, or economic hardship to search for the promise of a better life in major metropolises. By 2040, it is anticipated that more than 50 percent of the global population will live in urban centers.