His research deals with equity in urban planning particularly in relation to the incorporation of immigrants. He combines planning history, ethnographic fieldwork, and design techniques to evaluate how planning addresses immigrant life but also to show how immigrants can engage planning to assert agency, build political power and mobilize immigrant-based planning agendas. Fernando is also working on a project focusing on urban planning and policies as they relate to Latino immigrant communities across Minnesota. Additionally, he is teaching a class on site planning for food justice by partnering with Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission (FNC) to explore incorporating food access and equity into the Saint Paul and Ramsey County Comprehensive Plan.