Sown pasture development is an effective means to relieve rangeland degradation and improve grassland productivity. However, sown pasture development requires effective planning, planting, and management. Particularly, there are still many scientific questions and challenges in the sown pasture development of the alpine rangeland on the northern Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, based on field investigations of current sown pasture distribution, in combination with analyses of climate, soil, topography, land use and remote sensing data, we analyzed the site conditions of sown pasture planning and identified potential areas suitable for sown pasture development in the northern Tibetan Plateau. We compared the distribution location and area of potential sown pasture with the existing one to provide scientific insight into future sown pasture planning in the region. The results showed that the suitable area for sown pasture development is very limited, with an area about 15333 hm² in Ngari Prefecture on the northern Tibetan Plateau. Altitude and hydrothermal conditions are the main factors restricting the construction of sown pasture in the region. Especially, in Nagqu Prefecture, most areas cannot meet the demand of accumulated temperature for forage growth activities. Therefore, the biological characteristics of forage varieties should be taken into account in regional sown pasture planning in the future. We concluded that caution should be taken into developing sown pasture in the alpine rangeland above an average altitude of 4500 m. Further study on the cold and drought resistance of forage varieties should also be strengthened. For effective management, the sustainability and stability of sown pasture should be considered to prevent rangeland degradation and desertification.