The goal came as part of Nutter's long-awaited economic-opportunity plan. Currently 18 percent of city contracts go to minority and women-owned businesses.

"Philadelphia is a world-class city and a city of great diversity," he said. "But in the years to come, our diversity will keep us strong only if all Philadelphians are included in all opportunities to prosper, only if everyone has the chance to compete and be successful."

Improving minority access to city contracts and jobs was among Nutter's campaign promises.

Nutter gutted the Minority Business Enterprise Council in October 2008, establishing an economic-opportunity cabinet of top administration officials and the Office of Economic Opportunity.

The key pieces of Nutter's new plan are increasing the city contracts going to minority firms and improving minority numbers in the building trades.

"My goal is to close those gaps because future generations of children of color depend on what we do today," Nutter said.

The city's construction industry has been criticized for not being inclusive of minority and female workers.

Nutter called on the building trades to increase the number of minorities and women in their ranks. He said that training should be made available in different parts of the city and that union leaders should reach out to the black clergy and Hispanic clergy to let young people know about the building trades.

"We must move from talk to training," Nutter said.

Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., a longtime advocate of more economic opportunities for minorities, praised Nutter's effort.

"If I thought this plan was crap, I'd simply say it was crap," Goode said. "Instead, I call it credible, because it is."

He said that setting contracting goals for minority businesses was a key component of the report.