 As if in a countdown, the planet's natural resources continue to deteriorate at an unprecedented rate, leading us to a climate emergency and loss of biodiversity, requiring drastic strategies to urgently reduce our environmental impact. The Maracat del Pes project in the center of Barcelona is one of the first to be carried out within the scientific, cultural, and urban initiative of the Ciutadella of Knowledge. Pompeo Fabra University is developing this project with other strategic partners. The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, the Spanish National Research Council, and the University of Barcelona, with the collaboration and support of the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan government. All these institutions have joined forces to promote interdisciplinary research and innovation in the fields of biodiversity, biomedicine, and planetary well-being to respond to the important and urgent goals of society and the planet. But what exactly is this project and why is it called Maracat del Pes? The project refers to a scientific and urban development involving the construction of a new 45,000-square-metered, three-building complex to accommodate 1,200 researchers producing leading-edge knowledge. The Maracat del Pes buildings will house new research spaces, such as the BIST building dedicated to biomedicine, the new headquarters of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and the future UPF center devoted to planetary well-being. The complex will be inaugurated in late 2025 and built on the space currently occupied by a public outdoor car park, the site of the central fish market of Barcelona for over 50 years before it was transferred to Mercabana. Research at the new Maracat del Pes complex will include important topics as are the climate emergency, high-impact pathologies, the degradation of environmental resources, the loss of biodiversity, the increase in social inequalities, and the decline of democracy and freedom. This research will pursue interdisciplinary excellence with a common goal to improve the health and well-being of people, society, and the planet.