近年来都市圈理论的引入和创新发展，对城市化理论有重要影响。我国西部地区的城市化有其特殊性，西部地区的城市化研究对促进西部地区的现代化发展、落实科学发展观、保障全国的可持续发展都具有重要理论与现实意义。都市圈理论对西部地区尤其是西北地区中心城市区域的发展具有指导性，以兰州为例分析了西北地区都市圈建设的可行性与前景。首先分析论证了兰州都市圈建设的可行性，得出了兰州不仅迫切需要建设都市圈而具备发展都市圈的良好条件的结论；接着，以定量与定性结合的方法，评价了兰州在我国西部地区中心城市中的地位和兰州都市圈发展水平，发现兰州都市圈的雏形已经形成，在区域开发中发挥着重要作用；最后，提出了兰州都市圈发展战略，包括战略目标、战略思路、战略重点等，展示了兰州都市圈发展的前景。兰州都市圈可行性的典型研究，也展示了都市圈发展模式在西北地区开发中的应用的可行性，对完善我国的城市化理论和实践具有重要意义。

In recently years, the theory of Metropolitan Region has greatly influenced the development of the theory of urbanization in China. Studies of the urbanization in western part of China, will mean much to the development of the whole western part, to the carrying out of the scientific views of development, and to the strategy of sustainable development throughout the country. The theory puts up the value of guidelines for the urbanization, especially for the development of the central cities of the area. This paper analyzed the practicability and future of the planning and the contribution of the Metropolitan Regions, in western China, by discussing the possibility of the Metropolitan Region of Lanzhou through the rational comparative analysis on the sustainable development conditions between Lanzhou and other provincial capitals in western China, evaluating the level of the Metropolitan Region of Lanzhou, and proposing the developing strategy of the Metropolitan Region of Lanzhou for example.