How do you think we can make Houston a more sustainable city?

I read the rules and something like this seems to follow the guidelines but feel free to remove if not allowed.

The main question: What are some ideas you think should be implemented on a city level to make Houston more sustainable?

The context:

I'm currently in school working towards a degree in Environmental Policy. One of my classes is centered around how to make a city more sustainable. The first half of the semester was all about identifying the issues within the city, the second half is about solving them. The city I was assigned? Houston, Texas. To be clear, I do not live in Houston, I don't even live in Texas, I don't even think I know anyone from Texas. The whole project has felt off because of this.

During my research I found three main issues I chose to focus on for the class:

1. Infrastructure
2. Education
3. Energy

This fall break I found myself in Houston during a layover. I was so thrilled for the opportunity to talk to people in Houston about what they thought we could do to solve these main issues but completely forgot about it as I headed to the Bahamas. A few days later I found myself completely obliterated at a bar on the beach when I started ranting about Houston and the difficulty I've been having coming up with solutions. Just my luck, the man next to me was from Houston. We were both completely drunk and started talking about what he thought we could do for Houston. It was such an incredible experience and I loved every second of it. People of Houston, I'm asking for you to be my drunk man at the bar today.

The main point:

1. Infrastructure

The issue:

Houston's location makes it incredibly prone to flooding, tropical storms, and hurricanes. Because of this a lot of time and money goes into rebuilding when it could being going towards a number of other things.

The question:

What ideas do you have to make sure the people of Houston and their property are safe during storms? What level, federal or local, should address it? Any other ideas you have to improve Houston's infrastructure in relation to storms?

The issue:

Houston struggles from a notorious lack of zoning, because of this, environmental racism is prevalent in the city. Cancer rates and other health issues have skyrocketed in historically black and brown neighborhoods where companies have placed dangerous facilities due to years of redlining and a lack of zoning.

The question:

How do we make sure the people of Houston are protected? Do we move the people? Or the company? How do we do that? How do we prevent this from happening in the future?

1. Education

The issue:

Houston has some of the worst graduation rates in the country. (I'm not judging, my state is right there with you)

The question:

Should schools be locally or federally funded? Why? What can we do to help children with their education outside of school? How would we make that happen? What are some ways to make sure kids don't 'fall through the cracks'?

1. Energy

The issue:

Houston's economy is build on fossil fuels. Its no exaggeration to say that Houston is the energy capital of the world. Unfortunately, fossil fuels are not sustainable. Houston is also well known for their success in green energy. If you look at the city of Houston's current climate action plan, almost all of it has to do with pushing towards sustainable energy. However, in an economy build on fossil fuels, I worry about a push like this.

The questions:

How do we encourage make sure citizens make the green move on a personal level when it comes to energy consumption? How do we push companies? Should it be a local or federal effort? In a city built on fossil fuels, how do we make the turn towards green energy?

Final words:

I am not looking for a debate or an argument. All of your ideas will be valued. You don't have to answer all these questions, but I would appreciate ideas based in these three realms. However, any idea in regards to sustainability in Houston will be appreciated, maybe you can raise an issue I haven't even considered yet. Thank you all in advance for your replies. Have a great day.

TL;DR

What are some ideas we can implement in Houston when it comes to sustainability centered in infrastructure, education, and energy consumption?