La Jolla Children's Pool
WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO THE BEACH?
The Children's Pool in La Jolla, California has been at the center of a long-standing community conflict. Originally commissioned by a philanthropist to create a safe place for children to swim, a colony of harbor seals took up residence in the cove in the mid-90s. This has led to a highly publicized feud between groups fighting for maintenance of the small beach for human use and those standing up for the protection of the seals. The conflict has escalated to arrests and even death threats. The stakeholders in this conflict include local residents, tourism and merchant associations, scientists, animal rights activists, and San Diego County representatives, among others. This teaching case has been designed in two parts, Part A and Part B, to facilitate a two-party mediation and a multiparty mediation, respectively.
Partner Collection
The USD Teaching Cases on Social Impact is an official partner collection with Harvard Business Publishing Education, offering high-quality, peer-reviewed cases that explore impactful themes like social innovation, sustainability, and ethical leadership. Exclusively available through HBPE, our cases equip educators with dynamic tools to inspire the next generation of changemakers.
To learn more about the collection, contact us at: connect@usdteachingcases.org.
