Boston Chief Information Officer Santiago Garces said he hopes the new plan will keep the city adaptable in the face of evolving technologies.

The health crisis has forced city officials to completely rethink they connect to their constituents, and to start experimenting with new engagement strategies.

The Indiana college town's former chief innovation officer, Santiago Garces, returned to run economic development after a stint leading Pittsburgh's IT efforts.

Attempting smart city innovation without buy-in from citizens and partnerships is futile, a panel of city and university IT leaders said.