Instruction
Good job! The last function we'll briefly discuss in this section is ST_Union. It returns a new geometry a new geometry that is the sum (or union-hence the name) of input geometries.
Interestingly, there are two versions of the function:
- Non-aggregate: provide two or more input geometries in the brackets to combine them:
ST_Union(geometry1, geometry2). The result will be a new geometry created from all input geometries. This version works in a very similar way toST_Intersection, which we discussed in the previous exercise. - Aggregate: in this version of
ST_Union, we only need a single argument: a column name.ST_Unionwill then work similarly to aggregate functions such asSUM(...). It will create a new geometry by adding up ALL geometries in the given column that were returned by the query. This can be very convenient. Take a look at the example:SELECT ST_Union(boundaries) FROM sf_planning_districts;
This query will return a single geometry representing the union of all planning districts of San Francisco.
Exercise
Return a single geometry that represents all recreational districts of San Francisco.
Stuck? Here's a hint!
Simply use the aggregate version of ST_Union. In the WHERE clause, specify the district type ('recreational').



