My quest, of course, is to use the notion of deconstruction to
undermine contemporary dystopic urban America.  Clearly, there are
multiple factors for blight in many urban centers, and many of the
variables that impact these communities are external and hence beyond
the scope of this project.  However, much of the contemporary urban
culture has been socially constructed to produce "rational choices"
that lead to non-tranforming and upwardly mobile (assuming this is a
good) actions.

I guess my question is this. Has there been extensive research in
deconstructing urban environments?  And more importantly, has there
been any applied approaches? Also, if you were designing a project to
deconstruct dystopic urban America, what would you do?  What term
would you attack? What pathology would you promulgate?

LaMont

news:80d84267.0304250655.105bc00b@posting.google.com...

Global Positioning System Aided Munition, (GAM),
[GBU-36/B & GBU-37/B]]
The Global Positioning System Aided Munition (GAM) was developed by the Air
Force
 and Northrop Grumman Corporation as an interim precision munition for the
B-2.
GAM is a tail kit that fits on the 2,000-pound Mk84 general purpose bomb,
[GBU-36/B],
 or the 4,500 lb BLU-113 penetrator [GBU-37/B]. GAM uses GPS guidance to
more accurately
 guide to target locations. The munition is to be eventually replaced on the
B-2 by the
Joint Direct Attack Munition. The GBU-37 was added to the B-2 arsenal in
late 1997. This
 weapon was at the time the only all-weather, near-precision "bunker busting
" munition.
available.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) Aided Target System, [GATS], is an all
weather B-2
targeting system which reduces Target Location Error, (TLE), normally
associated with
target coordinates. By exploiting the synergistic effects of the B-2's GPS
navigation
 and Synthetic Aperture Radar, (SAR), capabilities, which combine the SAR's
excellent
range and range rate capabilities, with accurate GPS Position and velocity
information,
  provides the GAM highly accurate target location relative to current B-2
position.

The GATS/GAM system was developed to meet a B-2 Block 20 precision weapon
requirement
 left unfulfilled by the cancellation of another munition. All GAMs have
been delivered
to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB and are in operational use.
Demonstrated
 accuracy by Air Combat Command aircrews has been under 20 feet.

Specifications.
Mission.  Close air support, air interdiction, counterair, airborne strike,
suppression of enemy air defense
Targets.  Mobile hard, mobile soft, fixed hard, fixed soft, maritime surface
Service.  Air Force
Program status.  Operational
First capability.  1996
Guidance method.  GPS/I N S
Range.  Greater than 5 nautical miles
Circular error probable.  12-18 meters
Quantity.  128
Development cost.  Munition development cost is included with development
of the GPS Aided Targeting System
Production cost.  $29.6 million
Total acquisition cost.  $29.6 million
Acquisition unit cost.  $231,250
Production unit cost.  $231,250
Platforms.  B-2

I'd like to help you, but I have a question. I've never quite
understood how social construction has become somehow associated with
pomo. Doesn't postmodernism reject the concept of the "social," seeing
it as a discourse. Isn't agency (construction) also verboten?

Also, what is all this talk above of "factors," "variables," and
dystopia. I think these concepts are all pretty modern ;-).

I am interested in this topic and did an Amazon search: "urban"
"postmodern." Only 12 results came up, but they all look interesting:

  The Postmodern Urban Condition
by Michael J. Dear (Paperback - January 2000)
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2.   Imagining Miami: Ethnic Politics in a Postmodern World (Race and
Ethnicity in Urban Politics)
by Sheila L. Croucher (Hardcover - May 1997)
Editions: Hardcover | All Editions

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3.   Planning in a Postmodern Age
by Philip Allmendinger (Paperback - February 2001)
Editions: Paperback | All Editions

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4.   Postmodern Urbanism
by Nan Ellin (Paperback - May 1999)
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5.   Philosophical Streets: New Approaches to Urbanism
by Dennis Crow (Editor) (Hardcover - February 1990)
Editions: Hardcover | All Editions

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6.   Geography and Identity : Exploring and Living Geopolitics of
Identity (Postmodern Positions, Vol 2)
by Dennis Crow (Editor) (Paperback - September 1996)
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7.   THE WOMAN OF THE CROWD: Urban displacement and failed encounters
in surrealist and postmodern writing. (Postmodern Studies 28)
by Daniela Daniele (Paperback - January 2000)

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8.   Consumer Society and the Postmodern City
by David B. Clarke (Paperback - December 2002)
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9.   Fantasy City: Pleasure and Profit in the Postmodern Metropolis
by John Hannigan (Library Binding - December 1998)
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10.   Postmodern Geography: Theory and Praxis
by Claudio Minca (Editor) (Paperback - July 2001)
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Postmodern Paletos: Immigration, Democracy, and Globalization in
Spanish Narrative and Film, 1950-2000
by Nathan E. Richardson (Hardcover)

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12.   Postmodern Cities and Spaces
by Sophie Watson (Editor), Katherine Gibson (Editor)
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