The Town of Matthews is the largest of metropolitan Charlotte’s suburban communities. The Town’s growth policies have reduced the dependency on automobiles, making the community very pedestrian and bicycle-friendly. Policies on tree preservation, landscaped parking areas and vegetated buffer strips adjoining stream channels and roadsides have help to reduce run-off. A 2008 Tree Ordinance prevents developers from clear-cutting construction sites and calls for the use of native plants in landscaping. The “Matthews Naturally” project is a partnership with the Community Wildlife Habitat team, North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s HAWK chapter and the Mecklenburg County Audubon.