This capstone project invites graduate students in the Master of Management (Emerging Technology) program to collaborate with the Queen Street Area Downtown Association (QSA)—a newly established non-profit aiming to digitally revitalize Downtown Niagara Falls.

Students will design a foundational data infrastructure and business intelligence (BI) framework to support QSA’s mission by identifying, capturing, and utilizing structured data related to visitor behavior, local business activity, and community engagement. The project will serve as a cornerstone for data-informed decision-making, strategic planning, and future funding or policy initiatives.

Organizational Context:

QSA is a modern, tech-forward alternative to traditional Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), with a mission to:

• Foster economic growth,
• Promote business engagement, and
• Enhance downtown visibility through technology and collaboration.

Key Initiatives:

1. Data-Driven Downtown (DDD)
2. Downtown Destination Marketing (DDM)
3. Digital Hub & Gamification Strategies

Geographic Focus:

Queen Street, Downtown Niagara Falls

Capstone Project Objective:

To design a scalable, data-driven analytics framework for QSA that enables:

• Tracking of visitor behavior and movement patterns
• Monitoring of local business engagement
• Analysis of economic trends and initiative impacts

Project Deliverables:

1. Business Problem Identification

• Define QSA’s core operational and strategic data gaps
• Deliverable: A research-backed business problem statement

2. Assessment of Emerging Technologies

• Evaluate AI, blockchain, IoT, cloud tools, etc., for feasibility
• Deliverable: A shortlist and recommendation of best-fit technologies

3. Technology-Driven Solution Design

• Design a scalable solution architecture and data infrastructure
• Deliverable: Proposed architecture, justification of business value

4. Implementation Strategy

• Create a roadmap with timelines, resources, and risk assessments
• Deliverable: Strategic plan for implementation and scaling

5. Digital Tools & Data Strategy

• Identify tools for data collection (e.g., surveys, sensors, digital interfaces)
• Deliverable: Structured data collection and analytics strategy

6. AI & Advanced Tech Integration

• Explore next-gen enhancements using AI, automation, or IoT
• Deliverable: Integrated features and competitive advantage analysis

7. Financial Feasibility & Sustainability

• Assess cost-benefit and long-term sustainability of solutions
• Deliverable: Financial plan including ROI, maintenance costs, and scalability

8. Research & Evidence-Based Approach

• Benchmark against BIAs, smart city models, and public-private data programs
• Deliverable: Academic-quality, evidence-backed project report