This paper defines three simplicial approximation properties for maps of 2-cells and 2-spheres into spaces, each providing homotopical tameness conditions on the approximating images. These are the general position properties used in the two main results. The first shows that a resolvable generalized 3-manifold is a genuine 3- manifold if and only if it has the weakest of these approximation properties as well as a mild 3-dimensional disjoint disks condition known as the Light Map Separation Property. The second shows a resolvable generalized 3-manifold to be a 3-manifold if and only if it satisfies the strongest of these approximation properties.
