Spatial SQL: A Practical Approach to Modern GIS Using SQL

by Matthew Forrest

Learn to create, index and query spatial databases using SQL that applies to PostgreSQL/PostGIS and more.

Learn how to use Spatial SQL to analyze and manipulate geographic data. This book covers everything from basic spatial queries to advanced spatial analysis techniques all using SQL. Even if you don’t know how SQL, this book starts from the beginning all the way to advanced queries.

Over 500 pages covers a comprehensive set of GIS topics.

Why SQL? – The evolution to modern GIS, why spatial SQL matters, and the spatial SQL landscape today

Setting up – Installing PostGIS with Docker on any operating system

Thinking in SQL – How to move from desktop GIS to SQL and learn how to structure queries independently

The basics of SQL – Import data to PostgreSQL and PostGIS, SQL data types, and core SQL operations

Advanced SQL – Statistical functions, joins, window functions, managing data, and user-defined functions

Using the GEOMETRY – Working with GEOMETRY and GEOGRAPHY data, data manipulation, and measurements

Spatial relationships – Spatial joins, distance relationships, clustering, and overlay functions

Spatial analysis – Recreate common spatial analysis “toolbox” tools all in spatial SQL

Advanced analysis – Data enrichment, line of sight, kernel density estimation, and more

Raster data – Importing, analyzing, interpolating, and using H3 spatial indexes with raster data in PostGIS

Suitability analysis – Importing, analyzing, interpolating, and using H3 spatial indexes with raster data in PostGIS

Routing with pgRouting – Routing for cars and bikes, travel time isochrones, and traveling salesperson problem

Spatial data science – Spatial autocorrelation, location allocation, and create territories with PySAL in PostGIS