Perhaps we’ve been wasting our time looking for green cars, creating hybrid, electrics and fuel cells as the vehicles of tomorrow. After all, if we really want to do our bit for the environment then why not just ban cars altogether?

That’s the philosophy that’s been adopted by the University of Miami, which has banned cars for all incoming freshmen (first year students) who live on campus.

The idea is that students will be compelled to think about their environmental choices – to consider public transportation, car sharing or riding a bike as an alternative to making short trips in their own vehicle.

There is an alternative for students – they can rent a car on campus for short periods of time, but it has to be a fuel-efficient vehicle. ZipCar is giving students short-term access to its fuel-efficient cars.

The move is part of the University of Miami’s Green U initiative, in which it aims to reduce the university’s dependency on fossil fuels and help the campus become more sustainable to help future generations. It is expected that the car ban will mean there are around 500 fewer vehicles on campus and by getting students to change their habits early, it can have a long-term impact.

The university has also launched a new scheme in which it sells bicycles to students for just $59. It proved to be a massive hit.

What do you think of the University of Miami’s scheme? Do you think it could work in universities across the UK or wherever you live? Let us know your thoughts.