ST_Intersects and ST_Buffer: No

If you find yourself writing a query like this:

... WHERE ST_Intersects(ST_Buffer(g1, r), g2)

Stop. Take a cleansing breath. Do this:

... WHERE ST_DWithin(g1, g2, r)

With the carbon emissions you save doing it the efficient way, you can afford to drive to the ice cream store for a well-deserved reward.
 

Calling all Technoweenies...

Did you know that OpenGeo is hiring a software engineer? It's true. Let's build something beautiful together.
 

Take this Tree and Pack it

Noticing this a little late, but have a peak at these posts from Chris Hodgson about how the R-Tree fails for variable density GIS data, and his approach to a packing process. Unfortunately, packing is a post-facto process, and it's not clear to me how we would do it with the GiST infrastructure that undergirds the PostGIS database. But it's nice to see a good R-Tree and a reminder of just how ugly they can get under the covers.