PostGIS Cookbook - Second Edition

Preface

How close is the nearest hospital from my children's school? Where were the property crimes in my city for the last three months? What is the shortest route from my home to my office? What route should I prescribe for my company's delivery truck to maximize equipment utilization and minimize fuel consumption? Where should the next fire station be built to minimize response times?

People ask these questions, and others like them, every day all over this planet. Answering these questions requires a mechanism capable of thinking in two or more dimensions. Historically, desktop GIS applications were the only ones capable of answering these questions. This method—though completely functional—is not viable for the average person; most people ...