Most resource-based cities are facing many issues which impact urban development during growing period, such as depleted resource and declining city, and worsening environmental pollution. Sustainable development of resource-based cities requires a green transformation. This paper, based on vast quantity of references, reviews each stage of urban transformation and sustainable development, studies the concept of resource-based city, developing stage, theoretical advances domestic and overseas, sets up and optimizes theoretical index system for resource-based cities and sustainable development. Quantitative analysis is the current research focus.