diff --git a/geo-types/src/geometry.rs b/geo-types/src/geometry.rs
index 4f4ac4abf..b964cd45b 100644
--- a/geo-types/src/geometry.rs
+++ b/geo-types/src/geometry.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use crate::{
     MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon, Rect, Triangle,
 };
 use num_traits::Float;
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::convert::TryFrom;
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::fmt;
@@ -75,19 +76,111 @@ impl<T: CoordinateType> From<MultiPolygon<T>> for Geometry<T> {
         Geometry::MultiPolygon(x)
     }
 }
-
 impl<T: CoordinateType> From<Rect<T>> for Geometry<T> {
     fn from(x: Rect<T>) -> Geometry<T> {
         Geometry::Rect(x)
     }
 }
-
 impl<T: CoordinateType> From<Triangle<T>> for Geometry<T> {
     fn from(x: Triangle<T>) -> Geometry<T> {
         Geometry::Triangle(x)
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(PartialEq, Debug, Hash)]
+pub enum GeometryCow<'a, T>
+where
+    T: CoordinateType,
+{
+    Point(Cow<'a, Point<T>>),
+    Line(Cow<'a, Line<T>>),
+    LineString(Cow<'a, LineString<T>>),
+    Polygon(Cow<'a, Polygon<T>>),
+    MultiPoint(Cow<'a, MultiPoint<T>>),
+    MultiLineString(Cow<'a, MultiLineString<T>>),
+    MultiPolygon(Cow<'a, MultiPolygon<T>>),
+    GeometryCollection(Cow<'a, GeometryCollection<T>>),
+    Rect(Cow<'a, Rect<T>>),
+    Triangle(Cow<'a, Triangle<T>>),
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a Geometry<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(geometry: &'a Geometry<T>) -> Self {
+        match geometry {
+            Geometry::Point(g) => GeometryCow::Point(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::Line(g) => GeometryCow::Line(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::LineString(g) => GeometryCow::LineString(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::Polygon(g) => GeometryCow::Polygon(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::MultiPoint(g) => GeometryCow::MultiPoint(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::MultiLineString(g) => GeometryCow::MultiLineString(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::MultiPolygon(g) => GeometryCow::MultiPolygon(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::GeometryCollection(g) => GeometryCow::GeometryCollection(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::Rect(g) => GeometryCow::Rect(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+            Geometry::Triangle(g) => GeometryCow::Triangle(Cow::Borrowed(g)),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a Point<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(point: &'a Point<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::Point(Cow::Borrowed(point))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a LineString<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(line_string: &'a LineString<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::LineString(Cow::Borrowed(line_string))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a Line<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(line: &'a Line<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::Line(Cow::Borrowed(line))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a Polygon<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(polygon: &'a Polygon<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::Polygon(Cow::Borrowed(polygon))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a MultiPoint<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(multi_point: &'a MultiPoint<T>) -> GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+        GeometryCow::MultiPoint(Cow::Borrowed(multi_point))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a MultiLineString<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(multi_line_string: &'a MultiLineString<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::MultiLineString(Cow::Borrowed(multi_line_string))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a MultiPolygon<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(multi_polygon: &'a MultiPolygon<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::MultiPolygon(Cow::Borrowed(multi_polygon))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a GeometryCollection<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(geometry_collection: &'a GeometryCollection<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::GeometryCollection(Cow::Borrowed(geometry_collection))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a Rect<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(rect: &'a Rect<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::Rect(Cow::Borrowed(rect))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a, T: CoordinateType> From<&'a Triangle<T>> for GeometryCow<'a, T> {
+    fn from(triangle: &'a Triangle<T>) -> Self {
+        GeometryCow::Triangle(Cow::Borrowed(triangle))
+    }
+}
+
 impl<T: CoordinateType> Geometry<T> {
     /// If this Geometry is a Point, then return that, else None.
     ///
diff --git a/geo-types/src/lib.rs b/geo-types/src/lib.rs
index 0a054b6ed..aedbbef55 100644
--- a/geo-types/src/lib.rs
+++ b/geo-types/src/lib.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ mod multi_polygon;
 pub use crate::multi_polygon::MultiPolygon;
 
 mod geometry;
-pub use crate::geometry::Geometry;
+pub use crate::geometry::{Geometry, GeometryCow};
 
 mod geometry_collection;
 pub use crate::geometry_collection::GeometryCollection;
diff --git a/geo/src/algorithm/area.rs b/geo/src/algorithm/area.rs
index 5183242ae..c4249456a 100644
--- a/geo/src/algorithm/area.rs
+++ b/geo/src/algorithm/area.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-use crate::{CoordinateType, Line, LineString, MultiPolygon, Polygon, Rect, Triangle};
-use num_traits::Float;
+use crate::{
+    CoordinateType, GeometryCollection, GeometryCow, LineString, MultiPolygon, Polygon, Rect,
+    Triangle,
+};
 
 use crate::algorithm::winding_order::twice_signed_ring_area;
 
@@ -27,72 +29,74 @@ use crate::algorithm::winding_order::twice_signed_ring_area;
 ///
 /// assert_eq!(polygon.area(), -30.);
 /// ```
-pub trait Area<T>
+pub trait Area<'a, T>
 where
     T: CoordinateType,
 {
-    fn area(&self) -> T;
+    fn area(&'a self) -> T;
 }
 
 // Calculation of simple (no interior holes) Polygon area
 pub(crate) fn get_linestring_area<T>(linestring: &LineString<T>) -> T
 where
-    T: Float,
+    T: CoordinateType,
 {
     twice_signed_ring_area(linestring) / (T::one() + T::one())
 }
 
-impl<T> Area<T> for Line<T>
-where
-    T: CoordinateType,
-{
-    fn area(&self) -> T {
-        T::zero()
-    }
+fn area_polygon<T: CoordinateType>(polygon: &Polygon<T>) -> T {
+    polygon
+        .interiors()
+        .iter()
+        .fold(get_linestring_area(polygon.exterior()), |total, next| {
+            total - get_linestring_area(next)
+        })
 }
 
-impl<T> Area<T> for Polygon<T>
-where
-    T: Float,
-{
-    fn area(&self) -> T {
-        self.interiors()
-            .iter()
-            .fold(get_linestring_area(self.exterior()), |total, next| {
-                total - get_linestring_area(next)
-            })
-    }
+fn area_multi_polygon<T: CoordinateType>(multi_polygon: &MultiPolygon<T>) -> T {
+    multi_polygon
+        .0
+        .iter()
+        .fold(T::zero(), |total, next| total + next.area())
 }
 
-impl<T> Area<T> for MultiPolygon<T>
-where
-    T: Float,
-{
-    fn area(&self) -> T {
-        self.0
-            .iter()
-            .fold(T::zero(), |total, next| total + next.area())
-    }
+fn area_geometry_collection<T: CoordinateType>(geometry_collection: &GeometryCollection<T>) -> T {
+    geometry_collection
+        .iter()
+        .fold(T::zero(), |total, geometry| total + geometry.area())
 }
 
-impl<T> Area<T> for Rect<T>
-where
-    T: CoordinateType,
-{
-    fn area(&self) -> T {
-        self.width() * self.height()
-    }
+fn area_rect<T: CoordinateType>(rect: &Rect<T>) -> T {
+    rect.width() * rect.height()
+}
+
+fn area_triangle<T: CoordinateType>(triangle: &Triangle<T>) -> T {
+    triangle
+        .to_lines()
+        .iter()
+        .fold(T::zero(), |total, line| total + line.determinant())
+        / (T::one() + T::one())
 }
 
-impl<T> Area<T> for Triangle<T>
+impl<'a, I: 'a, T: 'a> Area<'a, T> for I
 where
-    T: Float,
+    &'a I: Into<GeometryCow<'a, T>>,
+    T: CoordinateType,
 {
-    fn area(&self) -> T {
-        self.to_lines()
-            .iter()
-            .fold(T::zero(), |total, line| total + line.determinant())
-            / (T::one() + T::one())
+    fn area(&'a self) -> T {
+        let geometry_cow: GeometryCow<'a, T> = self.into();
+        match geometry_cow {
+            GeometryCow::Point(_) => T::zero(),
+            GeometryCow::Line(_) => T::zero(),
+            GeometryCow::LineString(_) => T::zero(),
+            GeometryCow::Polygon(g) => area_polygon(&*g),
+            GeometryCow::MultiPoint(_) => T::zero(),
+            GeometryCow::MultiLineString(_) => T::zero(),
+            GeometryCow::MultiPolygon(g) => area_multi_polygon(&*g),
+            GeometryCow::GeometryCollection(g) => area_geometry_collection(&*g),
+            GeometryCow::Rect(g) => area_rect(&*g),
+            GeometryCow::Triangle(g) => area_triangle(&*g),
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/geo/src/algorithm/map_coords.rs b/geo/src/algorithm/map_coords.rs
index 87b4e1929..8b0c2305e 100644
--- a/geo/src/algorithm/map_coords.rs
+++ b/geo/src/algorithm/map_coords.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 use crate::{
     Coordinate, CoordinateType, Geometry, GeometryCollection, Line, LineString, MultiLineString,
-    MultiPoint, MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon, Rect, Triangle
+    MultiPoint, MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon, Rect, Triangle,
 };
 use std::error::Error;
 
diff --git a/geo/src/lib.rs b/geo/src/lib.rs
index 6a940f750..8dfe918ff 100644
--- a/geo/src/lib.rs
+++ b/geo/src/lib.rs
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ pub use crate::traits::ToGeo;
 pub use crate::types::*;
 
 pub use geo_types::{
-    line_string, point, polygon, Coordinate, CoordinateType, Geometry, GeometryCollection, Line,
-    LineString, MultiLineString, MultiPoint, MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon, Rect, Triangle,
+    line_string, point, polygon, Coordinate, CoordinateType, Geometry, GeometryCollection,
+    GeometryCow, Line, LineString, MultiLineString, MultiPoint, MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon, Rect,
+    Triangle,
 };
 
 /// This module includes all the functions of geometric calculations