PostGIS Explained: The Spatial Database Every GIS Pro Should Know
For many GIS professionals, SQL and databases can feel intimidating. They seem like tools for data engineers, not map makers. But here’s the truth—if you’ve ever done a spatial join, buffer, or intersection in ArcGIS or QGIS, you’ve already been doing SQL… you just didn’t see the code behind the button.
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That’s where PostGIS comes in. PostGIS is an extension of PostgreSQL that turns it into a full spatial database, letting you run the same spatial operations you’re used to—but at scale, with real-time updates, integrations, and even powering AI applications.
In this video, you’ll learn:
✅ What PostGIS is and how it works
✅ Why PostGIS is a bridge between traditional GIS and modern data workflows
✅ When you should and shouldn’t use PostGIS
✅ How PostGIS fits alongside tools like GeoPandas, Apache Sedona, DuckDB, and cloud data warehouses
✅ The role of PostGIS in AI and geospatial data engineering
Whether you’re working on personal projects, collaborating in a small team, or scaling to enterprise-level spatial analytics, PostGIS is a foundational skill to unlock the future of GIS.
📚 Resources Mentioned:
PostGIS Documentation: https://postgis.net/documentation/
My book on Spatial SQL: https://spatial-sql.com/
Spatial Lab live session: https://forrest.nyc/spatial-lab