Since the late 1920s, the principles of functionalism have become widespread and further developed in Scandinavia, Denmark, England, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Romania. In addition to Europe, they appeared in the USA, South America and Japan. The merit in the spread of functionalism around the world belongs to well-known architectural magazines, international exhibitions and more and more frequent personal contacts, exchange of opinions and, of course, the architectural and theoretical activities of the founders of functionalism abroad. At the International Exhibition in New York (1932), a publication was published, the name of which "International Style" later became a generally accepted concept defining the functionalist architecture of the 30s and subsequent years. The international style program was formulated at the International Congress of Contemporary Architecture (CIAM), which met in 1923 in Switzerland.
At the congress, a charter of modern architecture was adopted and proclaimed, emphasizing its social characteristics, orientation towards new technology and materials, standardization, economy, and the creation of public housing. The Athenian Charter (1933), which defined the character of the city as the organization of the main functions: labor, housing, recreation, and transport, had a similar significance for the establishment of the later generally accepted concept of the city. With the widespread dissemination of functionalism, the principles of which, starting from the 40s, began to be widely used in architecture and urban planning, there was a danger of their mechanical application, which manifested itself primarily in private construction activities.