## 3 Results and Discussion  
The LULC classification results of the initial (HRC) and the improved classification (HRC_e) for the three study areas and the three years are presented in Appendix A (Figures A1-A3). Both classifications show satisfactory results. However, as can be noticed, the accuracy of each classification (e.g., the elimination of shadows and the representation of the street network) was significantly improved by applying the post-processing methodology described in Section 2.2.3. (see Section 3.2 for detailed assessment of the classification results as part of the validation of results). As a summary of results, Table 2 presents the distribution of percentages for each LULC class in each image. The highest percentages of the classes 'Buildings' and 'Paved' came from the 'Urban' area; a significant percentage of the classes 'Buildings' and 'HighVeg' were from the 'Transitional' area; and the lowest percentage of the class 'Buildings,' the absence of the class 'Paved,' and the highest percentage of the class 'HighVeg' for the 'Suburban' area, were correctly indicated by the classification results. Moreover, the characteristic temporal dynamics for all three areas--a steady-state of urbanization in the 'Urban' area; a significant urban growth between 2009 and 2015 for the 'Transitional' area (+58% in 'Building'); and between 2009 and 2018, an even more pronounced urban growth for the 'Suburban' area (+320% in 'Building') are reflected as well. As expected, the urbanization rate in 'Urban Area' does not show significant variation during the last years in HRC_e, most probably due to the lack of available space to build new houses close to the streets. In that zone, a decrease of high vegetation seems to be related to an increase of both low vegetation and bare land. The last feature can be interpreted as soil degradation, since most of this vegetation is located near the river where only few buildings are present, and no local interest in settling new houses exists. On the other hand, 'Transitional' and 'Sub-Urban' areas have presented a constant increase of built-areas in the past decade. Although this tendency is locally related to the more available space and flatter topography, those changes in the LULC do not follow the same pattern. In the case of the 'Transitional' area, the increment of buildings is not directly related to a reduction of high, but instead low vegetation and bare land. The increase of trees in this zone suggests a spatial variation of deforestation along the river, m possible that reforestation campaigns in this zone have supported the protection of trees close to the buildings and riparian zones. The 'Sub-Urban' area shows a constant decrease in high vegetation. This reduction is proportional to the increase of buildings, low vegetation, and bare land. That result suggests the area is facing an accelerated process of both soil degradation and urbanization. A specific example of classification is shown in Figure 3, corresponding to the 'Urban' area in the year 2009. Results were satisfactory in the HRC, with a significant improvement in the HRC_e. The expected LULC classification is consistent with the characteristics previously described for the