The relevance of the study is in the fact that the West Siberian oil and gas complex has a special significance for the economy and politics of our country. Studying the history of the oil and gas complex development has been relevant for many years. Urban development of the northern territories has been part of it. The history of development of Yamal towns and cities in the Soviet period has remained insufficiently studied by modern urban scientists. The purpose of the research is to find out the features of designand urban planning of Novy Urengoy in 1970–1980s. The article dwells on the analysis of urban development of the Tyumen North in the second half of the twentieth century. The city of Novy Urengoy in the first decades of its industrial development is used as an example. The article is written based on reference documents and documents of management and record keeping of the city-planning enterprises (orders). These documents contain detailed information about the issues related to construction of housing and commissioning of social and cultural facilities in the city. Conclusions are drawn of the mistakes made during the construction of the basic city, as well as those of the spontaneous nature of urban development.